Search This Blog

Subscribe to this blog

Follow Us

Dwarves, Dragons, and Danger with James Enge (#bookreview)

In this first book of his Morlock Ambrosius origin story, James Enge provides us with a 'classic' epic fantasy tale, centered around the clash between dwarves and dragons, augmented with a little alternative history, a story of parallel worlds, and a really interesting take on the Arthurian legends. It's an odd mix of storytelling elements, but A Guile of Dragons works quite well, despite a few awkward passages.

The opening chapters certainly felt a bit rushed, as if Enge were impatient to have Ambrosius grow up, without getting into the whole coming-of-age storytelling mess. Don't get me wrong, there are some authors who have done the coming-of-age thing well (Tad Williams immediately comes to mind), but all too often it feels like padding, so I'm not disappointed that Enge passed it by.

Fortunately, once we get outside the city and meet back up with Earno, the man responsible for Merlin's exile, the story really begins to pick up. There's a subtle antagonism between the two men that you can feel, and enough conflicted loyalties on both sides to really add some tension to the tale. Neither are particularly likable as protagonists, which does present a bit of a challenge - especially when the dwarves so often steal the show - but they're interesting, and admirable in their own way.

It's with the first appearance of the dragons, however, that Enge completely won me over.

The dragons broke through the clouds in groups of three, casting distorted shadows behind them by their own light. There were perhaps a dozen groups. Most of them soared steeply out of the range of sight, but three dragons flew directly to the windows of the High Hall of the East. One roosted directly before the windows (the mountain shook beneath them) and peered within: smoke and fire trailing from his jaws, his bright scales shedding red light at their edges, his slotted eyes as red and gold as molten metal.

It seems as if dragons have become somewhat passé in recent years, as gritty realism and militaristic tales have come to dominate much of the market, so it was refreshing to encounter real dragons again - intelligent, greedy, treasure-seeking, malevolent creatures, full of magic and fire. Add to that the idea of a guile, of a collared dragon claiming mastery over a group of its kin, herding them and marshaling them into a sort of army, and you've got one hell of a great story.

The writing is crisp, and flows well; the battle scenes are played out beautifully; and the characters are both complex and engaging. A Guile of Dragons isn't a particularly deep fantasy tale, although I can sense a great story waiting to be told. Perhaps readers already familiar with the character will find more nuances to the tale than I, but it's still more than adequate as an introduction to Ambrosius' world, and strong enough to make me want to read Wrath-Bearing Tree, the second book of A Tournament of Shadows.

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Vampires, when they're done right, never get old. I'm not necessarily talking dark and evil, but edgy, supernatural, and without even a hint of sparkles. Vampire of Blackpool is one of those books that does vampires right, a quick read that left me wanting more.Catherine Green spins a tale of a vampire, a witch, a vampire hunter, and a vampire detective that has five-hundred years of history behind it. Meredith Hanson is an utterly fascinating protagonist, a tired, jaded vampire who has grown deliberately careless, just looking for a confrontation. A beautiful monster, she opens the story by feeding upon a pair of teenage lovers, and then flying out over the ocean to dump their bodies.

Samantha Morris, on the other hand, is the kind of young woman who defines romantic protagonist. She's a cute, innocent little witch, but one with claws and a backbone. Her flirting with Meredith open up the story in several ways, giving Meredith a reason to live again, while she plays refe…

Wow. I finished this over the weekend, and I am still struggling to find the right words to convey what a massive emotional impact it had on me. Assassin's Fate is everything I could have asked of Robin Hobb - an entirely satisfying conclusion to not just the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, but that of the entire Realms of the Elderlings and all its interconnected works.

This is a book of Farseers, Fools, White Prophets, Liveships, Dragons, are more. It's as if everything that Hobb has ever teased or hinted at before is finally realized here. Not content to merely rip out our hearts, she tears the entire world asunder, ensuring that no corner of the Six Duchies will rise from the ashes of Fitz's final story unchanged. Let there be no mistake, this is a book of endings. Yes, there are new beginnings to be found as well, but Assassin's Fate marks the end of so many characters and storylines that it's easy to miss some of them.

Follow the Money by Gail Z. Martin
Follow the money. If you want to know why someone is doing something--especially if it's something they shouldn't be doing--follow the money.

All too often in epic fantasy, we just start with the assumption that the king and nobility were born wealthy and go from there. Things get interesting when you start asking questions. Where did they get their money? Was it a one-time thing (like a grant or a reward or a treasure) or is there an ongoing flow of money--and where does it come from? How financially stable are they really? What would it take to make them unstable? Who had money and lost it? Who wants money and will do anything to get it? Does money equal social status? Are there people who kept status and lost money? Got money and couldn't get status? What about those who fell out of favor or were born on the wrong side of the blanket?

When I set up the world for my new Darkhurst series (first book, Scourge debuts July 15), I came at it…